Russian Winter: A Novel (Daphne Kalotay)

Why I have this book: I bought it for a new book club that I joined. :)

So... Well, I'm not sure if I liked this book or not. On the one hand, reading it was an exercise in frustration. It was sooooooo slow. I think I was halfway through the book before it started to seem like there was a story to follow. Prior to that, it seemed to just be planting seeds of a story. I was close to 75% done (Kindle percentages!) before I felt invested for myself. Seriously, even at 73%, I could have just called my friend and asked her to tell me how it ended and I would have been fine not finishing it.

After I passed 75%, it began to be more interesting and I'm glad I finished it. Although... another frustration was how it ended. It just sort of... ended. No resolution, really. You had to fill in the blanks a lot, not just at the end, but throughout the book. I guess because the characters didn't really know what was going on, the readers weren't gonna know, either. (ha!)

I think there was so much deeper of a story for each character, but I felt left to imagine what those stories were. Maybe that adds to the intrigue of the story... but I would have liked to have understood more of what really happened instead of making assumptions.

This book reads like a Russian novel, in my opinion. Not as tedious, but that same kind of feel. Not a lot of emotion, but a lot of pretty deep issues going on.

I don't recall any swearing, but I might have missed one or two. There were several "not-really-graphic" sexual situations. Abortion and suicide are also mentioned.

When the Bough Breaks: A Memoir about One Family's Struggle with Mental Illness (Denise Brauer and Michelle Brauer)

Why I have this book: It was on a list for inexpensive Kindle books, if I remember right.

I have found that mental health issues seem to be a huge challenge in our world today. I know so many people who struggle. We've had more than a handful of suicides in our community and among our acquaintances and friends. It has been heartbreaking. I find myself drawn to these books because I think it's very important to be educated about mental illness for our own lives and for the lives of those we love.

This book was an interesting perspective from two sisters whose mother committed suicide after a year of struggling with what seemed to be a sudden decline into mental illness. It is painfully honest, and I appreciated that. It helps me to be more sensitive to what the children of a mentally ill parent might be feeling.

I'm glad I read it, even though it was very sad and emotionally wrenching. I can only imagine how the authors felt as they put their emotions and experiences into words… and I think their effort to reach out and share what they went through will ultimately be a blessing to others.

There is quite a bit of swearing in this book, including using the Lord's name as an exclamation of emotion. The "big" swear words are also used several times. There are a couple of instances of sexual contact between unmarried teenagers. Obviously, suicide is part of this memoir, and the trauma of it is not sugar-coated.

Allegiant (Veronica Roth)

Why I have this book: I bought it while it was on sale for Kindle (before I even read the first book in the series.)

I don't even know what to say about this book. I really can't say very much without spoilers, so I'm kind of stuck.

I will say this: There is no point in reading the first two books if you're not going to read the third book. There is more humanity in the last third of the third book than the rest combined.

I really can't say anything more. Dang. However, the series went from being a series I wouldn't really feel the need to recommend to people, to one I might recommend to a few. My interest was similar to Insurgent, in that I didn't necessarily feel the need to neglect my housework in order to read it, but when I did pick it up each night to read a chapter or two, I had a hard time putting it down until I was unable to keep my eyes open.

There is a certain depressing feel to the entire series, though. It's only in the last bit that there was any sense of hope to me... which seems counterintuitive, considering...

This book has a handful or two of swearing, including the name of the Lord used as an exclamation of expression. It is implied that two of the characters have sex, but it is so subtle that I can't say for certain that they did. (Pretty sure they did, though.) There is a very subtle hint that two other characters have a homosexual relationship, but again, it's so vaguely alluded to that if you blinked, you'd miss it. There is violence (not really graphically described), just like in the other two books.

Insurgent (Veronica Roth)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the e-book library because I read the first book in the trilogy (Divergent.)

I already own the third book in the series (it was on sale for Kindle), so I'll be reading that next. I don't know... I kinda liked this book, but I could go all day and not think about reading it. On the other hand, every night I would pick it up to read a bit before bed and would read until I couldn't keep my eyes open. So...?  Not sure how to classify that level of interest.

There were so many characters in so many factions that it was difficult for me to keep them all straight. I would totally recommend keeping a notebook (or using X-Ray if you have that function on your Kindle) to keep track if you are like me and are lacking brain power.  :)

I think if I didn't find the characters and factions so confusing, I'd enjoy it more. I just can't relate to that type of society, so it's hard for me to get too enthralled. Maybe the third book will clear it up for me.

My cursed editor's brain wants to help the author with one sentence because it was redundant and contradictory at the same time. 

There are some uses of the name of God as an exclamation of emotions. There is a scene or two of physical affection, but I would say they didn't go further than kissing and touching of non-private areas. Lots of violence, not graphically described.

The Invention of Wings (Sue Monk Kidd)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the e-book library. I don't remember why I chose it, though...

I really liked this novel set in Charleston, South Carolina in the 1800's. Focusing on the topic of slavery and abolition, the book is well-written and engrossing. I wish it would have included an epilogue. I wanted to know how things turned out...

I also liked how quilting was a small part of the story.

The 'Author's Note" at the end is a must read to sort out what is fact and what is fiction.

This book contains a handful (no pun intended*) or two of swear words, and a few instances of not-so-graphic sexuality. There is also violence in the treatment/punishment of slaves, also not graphically described.

*You'll get that if you've read the book.  :)

The List (Melanie Jacobson)

Why I have this book: It actually belongs to my daughter. I think I randomly bought it for her while browsing at the local bookstore a year or two ago.

She was packing up her stuff (moving to college... waaaahhhh) and I asked her to leave her books out so I could read the ones I hadn't read yet.

This book definitely fits in the romantic comedy genre. The writing was smooth, the dialogue was easy to get into, it was enjoyable to read. The ending was a little over-the-top, in my opinion... the way you'd see a romantic comedy end on the big screen.

There is the cynic in me that really hates romantic comedies. I got a bit of that cynicism while reading this book... the characters were too witty (all the time), too perfect looking, too perfect everything. Even their (her) flaws were designed to be perfectly attractive. So, that part of it was kind of "blech" to me, but I still enjoyed the book. I think it's probably perfect (haha) for young adults and older teens who still dream of that magical soulmate who is somewhere out there...

So if you enjoy this type of book, it's a good one. I did find myself smiling a lot, because the wit really was... witty.  ;)

Clean.

Before the Dawn (Dean Hughes)

Why I have this book: I was reading a friend's book list, and this was on it. I read this book years ago, but seeing the title made me want to read it again. The copy I read, though, wasn't mine, so I bought the Kindle edition.

I really, really like this book. I like the depiction of the struggle to love each other and care for each other even when we don't think we have anything in common… or when it's easier to just focus on ourselves.

I think the author did a good job of writing about women even though he is a man. It sounded realistic and understanding of the way women often think. And I could really relate to the protagonist, Leah. (Should I admit that?)

Clean.